A Heart Needs A Home

We are pleased to announce “A Heart Needs A Home” a photography show celebrating animals in our homes, February 15 – March 22, 2019 at Taos Town Hall as part of the Taos Arts Council's art in public spaces initiative. A free, public reception is scheduled for Friday, February 15, 5:00-7:00pm at Town Hall, 400 Camino de la Placita, Taos.

Artists are invited to please respond to this open or non-juried show by completing entry for your artwork when you present your work. Deliver a work of art, 24” maximum width, framed and ready to hang to Taos Town Hall, 400 Camino de la Placita, Monday, February 11, 8:00am-5:00pm. Please bring a bio or artist information for sales.

We LOVE our pets and adore photos of pets! We wish to celebrate this while helping Stray Hearts Animal Shelter by donating 50% of the Taos Arts Council share of any proceeds from sales to Stray Hearts. The Taos Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that works to promote awareness, understanding and appreciations of all the creative arts and to be an advocate for the artists and arts organizaions in Taos County and Northern New Mexico.

Open Studio Event

This studio event is a collaborative of artists, studios, galleries and arts-oriented businesses located just south of Taos Downtown Historic District. 'DISCOVER SOUTHSIDE ARTS' will be open to the public for this one-day event, coinciding with the Taos Fall Arts Festival. Join us to explore Taos' creative and unique outlying areas.

(Taos, NM, September 19, 2018) In conjunction with its fifth year serving Taos and the northern New Mexico arts community, the Taos Arts Council (TAC) has adopted a new logo and campaign theme.

Paul Figueroa, President of the TAC, said, “We are very proud of the success of our organization. The introduction of the new logo represents an important next step in our growth.” Figueroa continues, “We believe that the logo will help to enhance our visibility not only in the arts community but also the community-at-large allowing us to forward our vision of sustaining an active, vibrant, and vital environment for the arts to flourish in northern New Mexico.”

According to the logo’s designer and fellow TAC board member, Jules Epstein, the logo evolved from the concept of four stylized hands, representing creative expression in each of the arts – visual, musical, performing and literary – woven together as one. The shape lends a nod to the Zia, the symbol that has become so synonymous with New Mexico. The turquoise line evokes the image of the Rio Grande through the gorge and the luminous coral center is representative of the power of the individual and seed of creation.

“We thought it appropriate to introduce our new image during Taos Fall Arts Festival week underscoring our commitment to the arts in Taos and beyond,” said Figueroa.

In addition to the logo, the TAC is launching a new campaign theme:

CREATE • EXPRESS • APPRECIATE

“These three simple, yet powerful, words embody the very essence of the arts, its artists and performers. The final of the three, ‘appreciate’, addresses the vital importance of the audience,” Epstein said and added, “the absence of which would call into question the validity of the other two.” The mission of the Taos Arts Council is to be an advocate for furthering creative expression and its appreciation throughout Taos County and northern New Mexico with the goal of enhancing the quality of life in our community. To achieve its mission, the TAC will promote the awareness of artists and artisans of all disciplines as well as the region’s many venues for performance and exhibition; provide a common conduit for furthering the coordination of, and cooperation between, the many independent arts voices in the community; and champion all reasonable efforts to sustain an active, vibrant, and vital environment for the arts.

The Taos Arts Council is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization incorporated in 2012 and supported by NM state and local grants as well as the generous donations of area business and individuals. To learn more about the Taos Arts Council and how to get involved, visit their website at www.TaosArtsCouncil.org or visit them on Facebook atFacebook/TaosArtsCouncil.TAC.

Although theTaos Fall Arts Festival is a non-juried entry art show, the art on exhibit will be judged for Best of Show and two Honorable Mentions by Carl Coker from Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Mr. Coker has had a long and distinguished career as a professor of art at several universities including NM State University in Las Cruces, NM and the University of Tulsa. As a well recognized award winning painter and sculptor, himself, his areas of interest and specialization include: Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Indigenous Architecture and the Art and Architecture of Ancient Peru. For more information: www.taosfallarts.com

The Taos Arts Council announces that the winner of the R. C. Gorman lithograph benefit drawing is Janet Webb of Taos. The lithograph was donated by the R. C. Gorman Estate with framing by Zia custom frame (117 Alexander St. Taos, New Mexico 87571 - Phone (505) 758-3770).

Thanks to everyone who attended the benefit event and purchase tickets.

The raffle was held after the recent event R.C. Gorman Days: Friday and Saturday, July 27 -28, 2018.

The event was quite successful, well attended with positive response and the TAC is planning on an expanded event next year celebrating the artist RC Groman and his impact on modern Native American Art. In 2019, the expanded event is being currently visualized as a 'Platform for contemporary Native American art with focus on six northern New Mexico Pueblos.' This includes engaging a conversation with Taos Pueblo and working in collaboration with area museums such as (i.e. Couse-Sharp, MRM, Blumenschein Home and Museum) with Pueblo collections/programs. The general theme being considered is 'Past & Present', and may involve museum related programs/tours.

Ideas to open the event are Dancers for the opening ceremony, or a similar opening blessing or ceremony, or gallery opening. The main event may also involve walking tours (Ledoux Street), additional dances or blessings, presentations, retrospectives, another raffle, catering and similar activities. Curators for the event currently involved are Gregory Farah (FaraHNHeight gallery) and Michael Gorman (Michael Gorman Gallery) and would be working with the selection of artists being considered under the theme 'homage to RC'.

The TAC has identified possible funding sources being from internal sources, Taos County or additional grants. Promotion may involve the Town of Taos, taos.org and Waite & Company, along with Taos Magazine, Tempo and Calendar plus social media. The event in 2019 is tentatively scheduled for Friday July 26-Sunday July 28, 2019 and may be expanded to three days with partnerships museums/programs.

The Taos Arts Council, a 501(c)(3), promotes awareness, understanding and appreciation of all of the creative arts and is an advocate to the artists and arts organizations in Taos County and northern New Mexico.

R. C. GORMAN DAYS

R.C. Gorman Day occurs July 27 – 28, 2018, to acknowledge and celebrate the life of R.C. Gorman (1931-2005) and his impact upon Taos and its art community and the legacy of his family in the art and heritage of the Southwest. The event is planned by the Taos Arts Council, FaraHNHeight Gallery and Michael Gorman Gallery with generous assistance of Vicky and Don Zillioux.

On Friday, July 27 at 5:30pm on the Plaza at the Gazebo a proclamation will be read by the Town of Taos honoring R. C. Gorman. Dineh-Tah Dancers, a Navajo Dance group, led by Shawn Price will perform after the proclamation. The group recently performed at Fort Summer, NM and shared the story of the Treaty of 1868 allowing the Navajos to return to their homeland. Following the dance is an exhibition and program from 6:00-8:00pm at the Michael Gorman Gallery, 103 East Plaza, Suite B. The exhibition includes ceramics by Michael Gorman, R.C. Gorman's nephew, as well as paintings by Carl Gorman, R.C.'s father, artist and code-talker. On view will be a curated selection of Gorman art by Curator, Gregory Farah. The Gallery program will feature a brief talk on the Gorman family by Zonnie Gorman, sister of R.C. Gorman and his nephew Michael Gorman. Afterwards guests are invited to enjoy the ambience and offerings of Parcht.